Nov 1 Sun - Were the saints some kind of “special” people?

 

Nov 1 Sun

Were the saints some kind of “special” people?

Today, the feast day of all the saints, we have the opportunity to increase our hope, since most of the saints were unknown, and strove “to fulfill God's will perfectly without leaving their ordinary tasks, or their condition and state of life in the world.... Some have been canonized by the Church. However, the great majority of these souls have remained unnoticed, in obscurity and silence. It is almost impossible to know to what extent their holy lives have been an example to others, and have contributed to manifesting the sanctity of the Church.”

By this feast the Church reminds us that sanctity is within everyone's reach. For “all of the baptized can and ought to sanctify themselves, and be a powerful leaven of Christian life, while they continue their normal life of work in the midst of the world.” Jesus taught this very clearly: You, therefore, must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.

“Our Lord wants each of you to strive to be a saint in the particular circumstances of your own situation in the world. This is God's will, your sanctification” (1 Thess 4:3).

The Gospel specifies some of the requirements for sanctity. Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven... Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God… The beatitudes show the path that we must follow to reach holiness.

“The call to sanctity is truly universal, and not merely for a few or for a particular state in life. It does not generally require abandonment of the world; any work, any profession, can be a path to sanctity, and a means for apostolate.”

We are not the only travelers along the road to sanctity. We live the communion of the saints when we help one another achieve sanctity. We are united to all Christians: to those already triumphant in heaven, to those undergoing purification in purgatory, and to those still journeying on earth. “A Christian cannot be an individualist. He cannot be uninterested in others. He cannot have his back selfishly turned to the world. He is essentially social, a responsible member of the Mystical Body of Christ.”

We live the Communion of the Saints by our prayer for one another. Throughout the day we ask many times that grace may strengthen or heal the one most in need. Thus, we too will experience the Communion of the Saints.

If you feel the Communion of the Saints—if you live it—you'll gladly be a man of penance. Our daily work will also contribute toward spreading divine life in the souls of our friends, and in others, whom we do not even know.

Our Lady, Queen of All the Saints, will help us to awaken in all hearts the universal call to holiness, the foundation for our apostolic zeal and our co-redemptive work in the midst of the world. 

Oct 31 Sat - Why was there cowardice among the Apostles?

 

Oct 31 Sat

Why was there cowardice among the Apostles?

What if we were to make a list of the stubbornness, recklessness, obstinacy, cowardice, and selfishness of the twelve Apostles, as described in the New Testament? We’d never finish.

John was so jealous, so ridiculously exclusive, that he said: “Teacher, we saw someone casting out demons in your name, and we tried to stop him, because he doesn’t follow us.” And Jesus rebuked this behavior, as he did when they argued along the way –out of human ambition!– about who would be first in the Kingdom.

Yet they did not learn the lesson –about serving others– taught by the Master on this occasion. Sometime later, they quarreled among themselves and the Son of God had to speak to them about generosity once again, because neither He nor His own came to be served, but to serve.

It seems the advice was already clear, doesn’t it? Well, no. At the Last Supper, Jesus had to set words aside and teach them by example. He washed and dried His disciples’ feet, and then said to them: “For I have set you an example, so that you may do as I have done.”

Among the hundred thousand flaws of these twelve Apostles, I’ll single out one as a prime example. As you know, Christ’s life centered on the Redemption of humankind. And at the very center of that Redemption stood the Cross. Then, at the crucial moment of dying on the cross, only one Apostle stood his ground –the youngest. The rest hid; they were afraid. Such are the shortcomings of the chosen ones.

All these men –fickle, boastful, of little faith, reckless, distrustful, always loving yet sometimes displaying attitudes that revealed a lack of love– will become saints… because they persevered. Only one withdrew, and he ended up badly.

To be effective, we are all called to persevere in the struggle; that is true holiness: An inner life that manifests itself in love for God, in service to others, in lending a hand to those in need, and in overlooking others' petty faults.

Holiness does not consist of standing on a pedestal with a palm branch in hand. Saints cannot remain inactive. We must take action: care for a brother’s illness, make sure the rice doesn’t stick to the pot, and talk to our children’s teachers.

These are today’s saints, who ride the subway, pray the Rosary, work in the fields, use a cell phone, spend the weekend relaxing with their loved ones, and return on Monday mornings to do what they always do –what they do every week, all year long: making sure that everything they do today –Communion, work, service– is done with a little more love, affection, and fervor than yesterday.

Let’s not lose hope. If we have fallen, like the saints, let’s also strive to imitate them in getting up again. Let’s renew ourselves in love. We need it. Today is a good day to say to God: “I’m starting now!” Even if it’s been a while since we last said that to Him. We still have a long road ahead of us. “I’m starting now!” 

Oct 30 Fri - Am I afraid of death?

 

Oct 30 Fri

Am I afraid of death?

Someone asked me for an answer without euphemisms. What comes after?
“Well, life,” I replied: “Life without any limits, glory –but conditioned by each person’s –good or bad– use of his freedom.”

The answer to the problem of death is the Risen One, and to rise with Him –but you must want it seriously. 

Some define themselves as “I’m Catholic, but not a practicing Catholic.” 
I tell you, it is an evasive way of saying that you’re Catholic, but you struggle with it. You haven’t won the battle, and you don’t want to face it.” 
To win it, you have to undergo a second conversion.

Some prefer to remain mediocre; for instance, they admit that sometimes they go to Mass as if they were clocking in for work. They lack formation: a basic understanding of what Mass is, attention to the readings and the psalm, and an awareness that during the Eucharistic Prayer, the mystery of Christ’s presence takes place –one in which one fully participates by receiving Communion.

And then, your honest professional life.
A man who sacrifices his honor for business loses both his business and his honor.

Without that, it’s of little use, although –I admit– a certain kind of faithfulness may also count.

I asked you, “Are you afraid of death?"
You answered, “Well, a little, of course.”
I don’t know if there’s anyone who isn’t, except for Saint Teresa, who was dying because she wasn’t dying.

“When you think about death, do not be afraid, despite your sins…For He already knows that you love Him… and what stuff you are made of.

   –If you seek Him, He will welcome you as the father welcomed the prodigal son; but you have to seek Him!"

“Don't be afraid of death. Accept it from now on, generously… when God wills it, where God wills it, as God wills it. Don't doubt what I say: it will come in the moment, in the place and in the way that are best: sent by your Father-God." 

We must look at death as a form of martyrdom: it hurts, but one says “yes,” like Jesus, whose Passion caused Him tremendous pain and led Him to complain to the Father, yet He rose again.

You must remind yourself: “I am going to meet someone –the Risen Jesus– and I go knowing that there will be a certain judgment.” The One who judges is a friend, one who loves me, and so I must trust him.

At the end of life, what really matters is having been humble enough to know that everything that came into your life, all the good, was the fruit of a gift—of the love of the Lord who has guided and accompanied you all the way, and of his Mother.

You should like to be remembered as a Catholic who sought to be faithful, who tried to respond to that gift (your Christian vocation) –with many ups and downs throughout your life– but who, deep down, always wanted to reciprocate that gift by giving yourself, by giving your life. 

Oct 29 Thu - Is it good to have a real family, with parents united in sacred marriage? (cont.)

 

Oct 29 Thu

Is it good to have a real family, with parents united in sacred marriage? (cont.)

In the so-called “de facto unions,” there is a serious lack of mutual commitment, and an inconsistent desire to maintain the autonomy of one’s independent will within a relationship that should be relational. 

What is missing in non-marital cohabitation is trusting openness to a future life together, which love must create and build and which the law is specifically tasked to guarantee.

In other words, the law should not be a mere set of norms, but a guarantee of human coexistence and its dignity.

When “de facto unions” claim the right to adopt, they clearly show their disregard for the child’s proper upbringing.

The “de facto unions” between homosexuals are a deplorable distortion of what should be a communion of love and life between a man and a woman in a reciprocal gift open to life.

Today, there is a widespread fear of being parents coupled with a disregard for the right of children to be conceived within the context of total human self-giving, which is an indispensable prerequisite for their peaceful and harmonious growth.

Thus, an alleged right to fatherhood or motherhood at any cost is asserted, and its exercise is sought through technical means involving a series of morally illicit manipulations.

Another feature of the present cultural context is the tendency of many parents to renounce their proper role, to become merely friends to their children, refraining from warning and correcting them even when this is necessary for teaching them the truth, albeit with every affection and tenderness.

It therefore should be stressed that the education of children is a sacred duty and a shared task of the parents, both father and mother: it requires warmth, closeness, dialogue, and example. At home, parents are called to represent the good Father in heaven, the one perfect model to inspire them.

Fatherhood and motherhood, by the will of God himself, intimately share in his creative power and consequently have an intrinsic reciprocal relationship. On this subject, I wrote in the Letter to Families: “Motherhood necessarily implies fatherhood, and in turn, fatherhood necessarily implies motherhood. This is the result of the duality bestowed by the Creator upon human beings ‘from the beginning.’”

This is another reason why the relationship between man and woman is the cornerstone of social relationships: while it is the source of new human beings, it closely binds husband and wife, who have become one flesh, to each other and, through them, their respective families.

Dear brothers and sisters, as I thank you for your dedication to defending the family and its rights, I assure you of a constant remembrance in my prayer. May God make fruitful the efforts of all those who, in every part of the world, are devoted to this cause. May he help the family, the bulwark and defense of humanity itself, to withstand every attack.

Second part, excerpted from Address of John Paul II to the members of the Pontifical Council for the Family, June 4, 1999 

Oct 28 Wed - Is it good to have a real family, with parents united in sacred marriage?

 

Oct 28 Wed

Is it good to have a real family, with parents united in sacred marriage? 

In today’s family, the father figure risks becoming increasingly hidden or even absent. In the light of God’s paternity “from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named,” human fatherhood and motherhood acquire all their meaning, dignity, and greatness. “Human fatherhood and motherhood, while remaining biologically similar to that of animals, contain a ‘likeness’ to God which is the basis of the family as a community of human life, as a community of persons united in love.

Just as the Holy Spirit is the life of the Church, He must also be the life of the family, the little domestic church. For every family, He must keep the flame of conjugal love ever burning in the spouses’ reciprocal gift of self.

An atmosphere of shared prayer must exist in a Christian family, where God is addressed with the freedom of children and called by the affectionate name of “our Father”! May the Holy Spirit help us discover the Father’s face as a perfect model of fatherhood in the family.

For some time now, the family institution has been under repeated attack. These attacks are all the more dangerous and insidious since they ignore the irreplaceable value of the family based on marriage. They have reached the point of proposing false alternatives to the family and of calling for their legislative recognition. But when laws, which should be at the service of the family, a fundamental good for society, turn against it, they acquire alarming destructive power.

Thus, in some countries, there is a desire to impose on society so-called “de facto unions,” reinforced by a series of legal effects that erode the very meaning of the family institution. “De facto unions” are marked by instability and the lack of the irrevocable commitment that gives rise to rights and duties and respects the dignity of the man and woman. Instead, there is a desire to give juridical value to a will that is far removed from any form of definitive bond. 

With these premises, how can we hope for truly responsible procreation which is not limited to giving life, but also includes that training and education which only the family can guarantee in all its dimensions?

The truth about marriage and the family is based not only on Revelation, but also on the demands of natural law, which are at the foundation of the true good of society and its members. In fact, it is important for children to be born and raised in a home where parents are united in a faithful covenant.

It is quite possible to imagine other forms of relationship and cohabitation between the sexes, but none of these, despite some people’s contrary opinion, offers a real juridical alternative to matrimony, but rather a weakening of it.

First part, excerpted from Address of John Paul II to the members of the Pontifical Council for the Family, June 4, 1999 

Oct 27 Tue - How can I carry my cross with joy?

 

Oct 27 Tue

How can I carry my cross with joy?

No one wakes up hoping for suffering.

Yet sooner or later, every Christian encounters some form of the cross.

Jesus made that clear when He said, "Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself, take up his cross daily and follow me."

The real question is: How do I carry it?

The saints didn't find joy by avoiding suffering. They found joy because they discovered Christ within it.

Here are five habits that can help you see your crosses differently.

1. Begin each day by offering it to God.

This is the Morning Offering.

Before checking your phone, spend a few moments placing the day into God's hands. Offer Him your work, your relationships, your joys, and even the difficulties you don't yet know are coming.

This small habit gradually shifts your perspective. Instead of asking, "Why is this happening?" you begin asking, "Lord, how can I love You here?"

2. Stop asking "Why me?" and start asking "Lord, what are You teaching me?"

Sometimes we spend so much energy trying to explain our pain that we miss the grace God wants to give us through it.

This doesn't mean every suffering has an obvious explanation. Some wounds remain mysterious this side of heaven. But Scripture reminds us that God can bring good even from situations we would never choose.

A difficult coworker may become an opportunity to grow in patience. A season of uncertainty may deepen our dependence on God. A personal disappointment may free us from placing our identity in success.

3. Stay close to the Sacraments.

When life becomes difficult, it's tempting to pull away from prayer and the Sacraments.

Ironically, that's when you need them most.

The Eucharist is not a reward for people whose lives are going well. It is nourishment for pilgrims who grow tired along the journey.

Likewise, the Sacrament of Reconciliation restores not only your relationship with God but also the peace and hope that suffering can sometimes hide.

4. Practice gratitude in the midst of difficulty.

Even during painful seasons, there are signs of God's presence: a friend who checks in, a sunrise that catches your attention, the kindness of a stranger, a comforting Scripture passage, or the quiet strength to make it through another day.

Joy is not the absence of pain.

It is the presence of hope.

5. Remember that your cross has purpose.

Perhaps the hardest part of suffering is believing it has meaning.

The world tells you to escape suffering as quickly as possible. Christianity offers something far more hopeful. Through Christ's Passion, suffering can become a place of encounter, transformation, and even love.

This doesn't mean you should seek suffering or pretend it isn't painful. Jesus Himself wept, experienced anguish, and asked that the chalice pass from Him in the Garden of Gethsemane.

But He also showed us that suffering united to the Father's will can become a path to resurrection.

For you, suffering must not be meaningless pain, but where Christ meets you and slowly refines you, much as fire purifies precious metal. All this, without exaggerating the difficulties.

It's all about believing that you never suffer alone. 

Oct 26 Mon - Do I believe in God, but live as if God didn’t exist?

 

Oct 26 Mon

Do I believe in God, but live as if God didn’t exist?

A Ten Signs Test. 

It’s not enough to say that I believe in God. The real question is whether my faith is transforming my decisions, relationships, and the way I live.

If I believe in God, I must trust Him. If I receive the sacraments, I must understand them and know their effects. If I talk about Christ, I must learn from Him how to love, forgive, serve, and build peace.

Reflect,

1. I make important decisions without ever asking God.

I pray, go to Mass, and consider myself a believer, but when I have to make decisions about work, marriage, children, money, or my relationships, I act as if everything depended solely on me.
A simple question can change your perspective:
“Lord, what do You want me to do?”

2. I seek God only when I have problems.

God is not simply your help in a crisis. He wants to be your Father, your companion, and the center of your existence.

3. I always put off my prayer until later.

You devote your time to what you consider important.

4. I want God to approve what I’ve already decided.

You are not seeking His will; you are seeking His approval.
A mature faith dares to ask before deciding.
Seeking God’s will means accepting that His answer might not match what you wanted.

5. My moral judgment depends more on prevailing trends than on the Gospel.

“Everyone else is doing it.” When culture becomes your only compass, you may end up living a form of practical atheism.

6. I know a lot about many things, but almost nothing about my faith.

Do you devote five minutes daily to read the Gospel or take the time to study your faith?

7. I live as if everything depended on me.

I want to control everything around me, my future, and even what others think of me, and thus fall into anxiety.

Faith leads us to do what we can and to leave the rest to God.

We are not God. And accepting that limitation can be deeply liberating.

8. I think more and more only about myself.

My rights, my comfort, my time, my needs.
But the question, “Who needs my help?” hardly ever comes up. Jesus teaches that whoever wants to be great must become a servant to others. Authentic faith does not shut us in on ourselves. It opens us up to others.

9. I show little gratitude and complain a lot.

When God disappears from your horizon, you may begin to feel entitled to everything. Gratitude brings us back to a fundamental truth: everything is a gift –my life, my family, my talents…

10. My faith determines the way I treat others.

Perhaps this is the sign that should worry you. You can pray a lot and still remain cruel, gossipy, arrogant, resentful, and unable to ask for forgiveness. 

The Christian faith cannot be limited to religious practices alone. It is called to become a way of life.

In which of these ten signs do I recognize myself?

Some excerpts from Lupita Venegas 

Oct 25 Sun - Will I be happy if I serve others?

 

Oct 25 Sun

Will I be happy if I serve others?

Our Lord put the law at the service of man, as in the principle, “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath.”
This applies to many realities—one’s work, the economy, the state, civil law, civic associations, the natural world—all made for the good of man; man is not created ultimately to serve them.

Our Lord taught that the true good of human beings is how we should measure both creation and human institutions. Thus, the Church defends the unborn, the poor, the sick, and the elderly.

By doing so, people around us are to see Christ in us and through us. By our example and words, we are to proclaim the Word of the Lord, who is Christ.

It is good for each of us to review the principles of Catholic social teaching to discover, with the help of the Holy Spirit, what each of us can do to promote justice and charity, beginning with the poor and vulnerable. These actions will differ based on our specific circumstances.

First come matters of justice: we should examine our responsibilities, remedy anything unjust we may be doing, and begin doing our duty. A healthy community can exist only if we protect human rights and meet our responsibilities.

Beyond that comes charity: we ought to ask ourselves what we could do for others, out of love, and try to do it.

Living justice and charity make us the “sort of people” in whom others can see Christ, so that we and they can escape “the coming wrath.”

Some other themes at the heart of our Catholic social tradition are:

The call to family, community, and participation. We are social beings with marriage and the family as our central social institution. Laws, policies, and the economy must support human dignity, not undermine it. 

Through the principle of subsidiarity, “people have a right and a duty to participate in society, seeking together the common good and well-being of all. 

The dignity of work and the rights of workers.

And care for God’s creation.

The Lord has created us for joy. However, we cannot attain it if we do not seek God, if we are not socially minded. Sadness arises from selfishness, from the desire for compensation, from neglecting the things of God and those of our fellow human beings; it paralyzes the best intentions of holiness and apostolate, and casts a shadow over our lives.

Sadness does not stem from difficulties or sufferings—whether minor or severe—but from ceasing to look to Jesus.

Sadness is like a diseased root that produces only bitter fruit; it gives rise to many acts lacking in charity and often prevents the soul from readily resisting the temptations that arise from sensuality.

“What is needed to achieve happiness is not a comfortable life, but a heart in love,” for joy is the first fruit of love. If we truly seek the Lord in our lives, nothing can take away our peace and joy. Suffering will purify the soul, and sorrows themselves will be transformed into joy. 

Oct 24 Sat - Is it necessary to frequent the Sacraments?

 

 Oct 24 Sat 

Is it necessary to frequent the Sacraments?

Jesus opened up broad new channels for God's grace to reach us, among them, the sacraments. They foster our interior struggle and help us advance in the Christian life.

“The grace that flows from Christ's open side reaches us through these seven divine channels; through them the Head communicates his grace to the rest of the Mystical Body." 
Do you want to be strong? First, realize you are weak. Then trust in Christ, who is both Father and Brother, and who makes us strong by giving us the means to conquer: the sacraments.

“All the sacraments are ordered toward the Eucharist, where we receive Christ himself: his Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity." 

In the Sacrament of the Eucharist, Jesus gives himself to us as food. Because He comes to us, everything is changed. Our being acquires new strength—the assistance of the Holy Spirit—which fills our soul, affects all our actions, and shapes our way of thinking and feeling.

Thus, we become divinized. We live a supernatural life, and the virtues and gifts received in Baptism grow to completion.

Together with the sacraments, we have other means for progressing in holiness: prayer and mortification.

The Second Vatican Council asserts: If charity is to grow and bear fruit in the soul like good seed, each of the faithful must willingly hear the word of God and carry out His will with deeds, with the help of His grace; they must frequently partake of the sacraments, chiefly the Eucharist, and take part in the liturgy; they must constantly apply themselves to prayer, self-denial, active brotherly service and the practice of all the virtues.

Prayer and mortification are indispensable for preparing our souls to receive God's grace. By prayer we identify our will with God's. “If God is life for us, we should not be surprised to realize that our very existence as Christians must be interwoven with prayer. But don't imagine that prayer is an action to be carried out and then forgotten. Somehow, our whole day can be a time of prayer –from night to morning and from morning to night."

We pray to become enkindled, seeking God's strength to fulfill everything He wants of us. Therefore, “our life of prayer should also be based on some moments that are dedicated exclusively to our conversation with God, moments of silent dialogue, before the tabernacle, if possible, to thank our Lord for having waited for us –so often alone– for twenty centuries."

“This heart-to-heart dialogue with God is mental prayer, in which the whole soul takes part; intelligence, imagination, memory and will are all involved. It is a meditation that helps to give supernatural value to our poor human life, with all its everyday occurrences."

And along with prayer, mortification. “Mortification is so important for us, so much a condition for our effectiveness."

Anyone who wants to fight has to use the available means, which have not changed in twenty centuries of Christianity. They are prayer, mortification, and frequent use of the sacraments. Since mortification is also prayer –prayer of the senses– we can sum up these means in two words: prayer and sacraments.

Oct 23 Fri - What is the Church's mission in the contemporary world?

 

Oct 23 Fri

What is the Church's mission in the contemporary world? 

Pope Leo XIV reminded Christians that “the first mission of the Church is to help people be attentive to the profound questions of life: those concerning our origin and our destiny, as well as those concerning the meaning of love and suffering.”

This requires a balanced mind, free from slavery to cultural trends, capable of viewing the world in a positive light whilst remaining steadfast in preserving and presenting the Gospel message in its entirety.

It is not by diluting the content of faith and softening its demands that Christianity can be made attractive.

It is the task of the whole People of God, especially pastors and theologians, to discern what in the cultures of our time is worthy of consideration, always taking the Word of God and the Tradition of the Church as the supreme criteria for discernment. This requires a balanced mind, free from cultural inclinations, capable of viewing the world in a positive light while remaining steadfast in preserving and presenting the Gospel message in its entirety.

The lay faithful, by virtue of their Baptism, are called to enliven the world with the Christian spirit and the vision of the Gospel. The principal settings for this activity are undoubtedly the family and the workplace, but it extends to every sphere of life.

The Church’s Social Doctrine guides the actions of Christians, who collaborate with all people of good will in promoting the common good.

The Church, therefore, desires to develop herself freely under any kind of government which grants recognition to the basic rights of the person and the family, and to the demands of the common good.

Likewise, the Pontiff made it clear that the Church’s mission is also fulfilled by contributing to the building of the earthly city. However, her methods and purpose are not primarily political in nature, but consist in bearing witness to faith and charity, together with a commitment to justice, peace, and fraternity.

Leo XIV further explained that the Church is neither “above” nor “beside” the world, but is grafted into it.

The logic of profit at all costs and the manipulation of information risk exerting undue pressure on people; they are forced to adapt to a lifestyle centered on the consumption of material goods, but our hearts are made to look upward, he said.

Proclaiming the Gospel requires believers to live lives of integrity. To fulfill the Gospel mission effectively, every baptized person must commit to cooperating with the grace of the Holy Spirit, so that their faith may be alive and expressed through consistent behavior.

In this context, he affirmed that “the separation between professed faith and daily life must be considered one of the gravest errors of our time.”
The Importance of the Holy Rosary

The Holy Father emphasized that Mary is a safe haven amid life’s difficulties. The feast of Our Lady of the Rosary, celebrated every October 7, recalls the Virgin Mary’s special protection over the Church and promotes devotion to the Holy Rosary as a path of contemplation, conversion, and strengthening of the faith.

Pic: Mosaic Mater Ecclesiae, St. Peter's Square, Rome.
Project: Javier Cotelo. Execution: Virgilio Cassio. 

Oct 22 Thu - Can mortal sin be compared to leprosy?

 

Oct 22 Thu

Can mortal sin be compared to leprosy?

On one of his journeys, a leper approached Jesus and prostrated himself on the ground before him. 

Lepers had to keep away from other people for fear of spreading the disease.

Furthermore, they were banned from all inhabited places once they were legally declared impure. They were obliged to have their heads bare and their clothes torn, and when going along a road, they had to announce their presence from afar.

Even their own families fled from them. These poor sick people had often seen the horror and fear on the face of anyone who encountered them. That terrible disease, it was thought, was a punishment for their sins.

The leper prostrated himself before Jesus, gazed up at him, and showed him the advanced state of his illness. He just said, “Lord, if you will, you can make me clean."

Just that:
- “If you will, you can."
This was his entire prayer. His faith was manifested in these words: “You can."
He barely used words. He only displayed his misfortune. 

Jesus could have cured the leper from a distance, as He had done before, but He wanted to touch his diseased flesh.

Jesus looked at the leper with affection, with a gentle expression full of compassion. Then Jesus extended his hand and touched him.

Perhaps the text means that He hugged him or raised him with his hands, since the leper was kneeling at Jesus' feet. How grateful the sick man would have been for that gesture. And then Jesus said: “I will; be clean."

Immediately the leprosy left him. The leper’s very illness had been the occasion to come closer to Christ.

He would never forget it. Perhaps he gave thanks for it. The Lord asked the leper not to tell anyone, but how could he keep quiet? His happiness overflowed uncontrollably from his soul, and he just had to share it with the whole world.

Having cured him, Jesus sent him to the priest to have it certified that he had been healed, and so enabled him to return to a normal life. 

The ancient Fathers of the Church saw in leprosy the depiction of sin, with its ugliness and repugnant character, and with the separation from everyone else that it causes. Sin, even venial, is incomparably worse than leprosy for its ugliness, repugnance, and for its terrible effect on the sinner in this life and in the next.

“Lord, if you will, you can make me clean.'
What a beautiful prayer for you to say often, with the faith of the poor leper, when there happens to you what God and you and I know! You will not have to wait long to hear the Master's reply: ‘I will; be made clean!'”

“When you have fallen or when you find yourself overwhelmed by the weight of your wretchedness, repeat with a firm hope: Lord, see how sick I am; Lord, you who died on the Cross for love of me, come and heal me.

– Be full of confidence, I insist. Keep on calling out to his most loving Heart. As He cured the leper, He will cure you." 

Oct 21 Wed - Is it right to accept martyrdom?

 

Oct 21 Wed

Is it right to accept martyrdom?

Yes –if accepting martyrdom means remaining faithful to Christ when unjustly threatened with death rather than denying the faith or committing grave evil. The Church teaches that martyrdom is the supreme witness to the truth of the faith, borne through fortitude and charity.

But accepting martyrdom is not the same as seeking death. Christians may flee persecution or protect their lives when they can do so without betraying the faith or harming others. The call is to accept death if fidelity leaves no morally sound alternative, but we must not seek danger recklessly.

The principle is: do not choose sin to save your life, but do not choose death for its own sake. The Church describes martyrdom as a special, high form of witness, while all Christians are called to daily fidelity even when it requires suffering or sacrifice.

Martyrdom is the supreme form of Christian witness, but it is not the only form, nor the ordinary measure of holiness. It bears witness to Christ and to the truth of the faith when fidelity to God is maintained even at the cost of death. The Church also teaches that every Christian is called to a consistent daily witness, sometimes involving serious sacrifice.

Other forms of witness include:

- Apostolate in ordinary life: living the Gospel through one’s actions and words.
- Apostolate through moral fidelity: resisting evil and refusing to do wrong, even when doing so brings hardship or loss. This may demand great courage without leading to death.
- Apostolate through service and friendship.
- Apostolate through sacrifice: generously giving one’s time, possessions, or personal comfort in response to God’s call and in love of others.

These forms are not rivals to martyrdom. Martyrdom is their highest expression when it is required; daily fidelity is the witness all Christians must be ready to give. Thus, the measure is not how dramatic the sacrifice looks, but whether one is faithful to Christ in the circumstances one actually faces.

The Catechism presents Christian witness as a broad, ordinary obligation—not something reserved for martyrs. Its treatment has three complementary dimensions:

- A life that makes the Gospel credible.

- Openly acknowledging Christ, not just privately living by Christian values.

- Readiness for costly fidelity. Christians must bear witness in every sphere of activity, public and private, and, if necessary, at the cost of life.

“You want to be a martyr. I will place a martyrdom within your reach: to be an apostle and not to call yourself an apostle, to be a missionary –with a mission– and not to call yourself a missionary, to be a man of God and to seem a man of the world: to pass unnoticed!"

“From time to time I have wondered which kind of martyrdom is the greater: that of the person who receives death for the faith, at the hands of God's enemies; or the martyrdom of someone who spends his years working with no other purpose than that of serving the Church and souls, and who grows old smiling, all the while passing unnoticed…
For me, the unspectacular martyrdom is more heroic… That is your way." 

Oct 20 Tue - Are there 99 righteous ones and only one sinner?

 

Oct 20 Tue

Are there 99 righteous ones and only one sinner?

“There will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent.”

Let us be clear: there are righteous ones. If there were not, Jesus would never have said those words.

And there are many more righteous ones than sinners. There is more wheat than tares.

The ratio is very revealing: for every 99 righteous ones –or saints, according to the terminology of the Scriptures– there is only one sinner.

In other words, for every 99,000 good ones, there are 1,000 bad.

Experience and daily life demonstrate the accuracy of this ratio: there are far more good people than bad in the world. 

As for the pessimistic, paralyzing phrase we repeat with false compunction, "We are all sinners", well, okay, so what?

We fail to recall that we are, above all, redeemed. That is, saved, free of charge, to begin with. We are all in the process of accessing and applying that redemption to our souls.

And, secondly, like all ‘definitive pronouncements,’ that phrase is a cruel lie. Because the sinner who is fighting to get out of the mire of vices is not the same as the sinner who is close to mystical union with God; there are degrees.

The sinner who –naturally– desires to do God’s Will is not the same as the saint who has no other desire than to do God's Will.

A monk said that so many people think they have invented sin, sadness, headache, and apathy: so many revolve around their navel, thinking that they are the center of the world. They think that only they are tempted.

The world is saved. The amount of good is far greater than the amount of evil -in that ratio of 1 to 99.

And if it seems to you that the world is very bad, blame, secondly, the media, the press, that invention of the enlightened century that replaced the reading of praises to God, of Lauds and Vespers: if God is not the first thing for us, or even the first or the last thing we read, then things will not go well.

Evil makes a lot of noise... Still, who will turn us away from the Love of Christ? Put yourselves in the "worst-case scenario": martyrdom? But if that scenario is the direct way to Heaven, do not be ashamed.

Yet the bloodless martyrdom of everyday ordinary work is the martyrdom of the good ones, the immense majority, all of us.

CODA: You can do the math, if you wish. Look, pornography in the world is driven by a few individuals, somewhere. Very few.

But they make a lot of noise and a lot of damage.

The proportion of 99 to 1 is maintained.

And the same proportion remains if we analyze governments, mafias, or economic power groups. It would be good to collect the contact details of those few and send them prayers personally.

As Jesus did with Zacchaeus the tax collector. 

Oct 19 Mon - Should I try to balance home life and daily work to enhance my personal development and happiness?

 

Oct 19 Mon

Should I try to balance home life and daily work to enhance my personal development and happiness?

Have you ever stopped to think that personal greatness requires the greatness of the family? It’s the place where each person finds roots that nourish and sustain them, and wings to soar high…

It is wonderful to perceive the indispensable value of one's own family: where each person is nurtured in an atmosphere of love and freedom. This is true not only when a child is born and needs care, but also as they develop and grow in their humanity—and therefore, their capacity to love. Then they need their family even more to love, to give of themselves, to develop as a person to their fullest potential, and to be more fulfilled. And this fulfillment brings joy and happiness.

To achieve this, we must create a positive home environment, one that offers light and warmth in all circumstances. The joy and affection that surround the family, stemming from their willingness to make life pleasant for everyone, especially the couple, effectively spills over to the children, who need genuine love. In this environment, they learn, feel protected, and feel loved.

Thus, creating a positive atmosphere, with a gentle, kind, and cheerful tone, and a sense of humor, is key to seeing the good in others, even in difficult or adverse circumstances. This is essential to keep everyday problems and challenges from becoming discouraging; we must see their true value and put them into perspective.

Likewise, nurturing relationships and learning to communicate, first and foremost with your partner, is essential. Sharing your feelings, desires, needs, and joys with your loved one is like opening your heart and pouring out its contents to the other person, who then embraces you with all their richness and vitality because they love you. And children learn everything this way, as they observe their parents constantly. 

Each person can create a family. But you need to give yourself to others and let them be themselves. Make your loved ones feel truly valued, admired, understood, and loved. Also, be grateful for any small gesture, attention, or kindness. Know how to smile, inspire hope, love, fight, forgive… and enjoy life with your loved ones. Place them at the center of your heart. Seek their well-being first, for that is precisely what love is.

And work… that dignifies and fulfills us as people. We can always do new things with good cheer and a positive attitude, for the good of our loved ones. 

Moreover, we need to work for our families, as it’s a way to provide for them by contributing to their well-being. Work also leads to personal growth, developing one's skills and abilities, fostering creativity, and cultivating habits and virtues that shape character and personality.

If to love is to desire the good of another person, then to work is to produce real goods for them. Therefore, to work in this way is to love twice over.

However, if the only goal of work is to stand out, achieve success at any cost, feed one’s ego, or seek only financial reward, it leads to frustration because these things don’t truly fulfill us.

Excerpts from María José Calvo 

Oct 18 Sun - Am I obliged to pay legitimate taxes?

 

Oct 18 Sun

Am I obliged to pay legitimate taxes?

The Pharisees asked Jesus, "Is it lawful to pay the census tax to Caesar?”

They wanted to get Our Lord into trouble with either the Jews or the Roman authorities.

They asked him whether it was in accordance with God’s law to pay the census tax, which, in effect, recognized the legitimate authority of the Roman Empire.

Here, our Lord introduced the distinction between serving God and serving the political community.

What do we owe to God? Many things, but chief among them for Christians are faith, hope, and, above all, love.

Civil government has legitimate authority when it serves the common good.
Thus, when the Pharisees posed a tricky question, Jesus reaffirmed the duty to obey civil authority and fulfill obligations.

The Lord answered with divine depth: Give to Caesar what belongs to Caesar –what is due to him (taxes, obedience to just laws)– but no more than that, because the state does not have absolute power and dominion.

As ordinary citizens, Christians have the duty to contribute to public life the material and personal support required for the common good. For their part, the authorities are seriously obliged to serve the common good without seeking personal gain, to legislate and govern with the fullest respect for natural law and the rights of the person from the moment of conception.

On this occasion, the Lord acknowledged civil authority and its rights, but clearly warned that God’s superior rights must be respected, for there is a profound religious dimension within human beings that informs all their tasks and constitutes their highest dignity.

He adds to his response: “Give… to God what belongs to God.”
When Christians act in public life, they must not reserve their faith for a better occasion. On the contrary, they must be light and salt wherever they are, and they must strive to make the world a more humane and welcoming place, where people may more easily find the path that leads them to God.

They will achieve this through harmony between their life and their faith, through fraternal charity, by sharing in the living conditions, labors, sufferings, and aspirations of their brothers and sisters –all people– and with full awareness of their role in building society.

When Christians engage in public life, they carry with them a powerful light –the light of faith. They know full well that God’s teachings are not an obstacle to the good of individuals and society, or to scientific progress. On the contrary, they are a guide to their fulfillment.

To God what belongs to God. Human life belongs to God from the moment of conception; and the family –which He sanctified in Nazareth– is based on an indissoluble marriage, as He Himself declared in the face of the outrage of those who heard Him.

Let us ask the Virgin Mary for the holy joy of feeling, on every occasion, that we are children of God, and of acting as such. 

Oct 17 Sat - Should I pray the Rosary every day?

 

Oct 17 Sat

Should I pray the Rosary every day?

The Rosary is a daily school of prayer in which Christians contemplate the mysteries of Our Lord's life with Mary.

The following fifteen promises of the Blessed Virgin to those who faithfully pray the Rosary are connected to this devotion, as transmitted by the Dominican tradition.

1. You will receive special protection from the Virgin.
We do not just remember Mary; we ask her to intercede with her Son. And we do it with the confidence of a child who knows he has a Mother.

2. It is a weapon against hell.
Those who contemplate Christ scourged, crowned with thorns, and crucified every day can hardly forget the price of their Redemption.

3. It makes virtues thrive.
The Rosary teaches us to look at the world from the perspective of eternity.

4. Protects the soul.
Mary does not reject the soul that comes to her. She does what she did at Cana: she leads them to her Son and tells them to do whatever He commands.

5. You will not die without the sacraments.
Because the more authentic the devotion to Our Lady, the greater the desire to confess, to receive the Eucharist worthily, and to remain in grace.

6. Each Rosary assures us of God's light in life and at the hour of death.
It also prepares us for dying well.

7. It obtains Mary's help for the souls in purgatory.
Praying for those who have died is a work of mercy and one of the oldest expressions of the communion of saints.

8. The sons of Mary faithful to the Rosary will attain a high degree of glory in heaven.
The purpose of Christian existence is not to live comfortably in this world.
It is to reach God.

9. We ask through Mary.
Christian trust never means demanding from God what we have decided is good for us.
Mary herself teaches us to accept God's will, even when His will does not match our desires.

10. Mary will help those who propagate the Rosary.
By propagating the Rosary, one teaches others to contemplate Christ by the hand of his Mother.

11. Through it, the angels and saints intercede.
The Christian is never alone.
Marian devotion is lived within that great communion of saints.

12. The Rosary makes us children of Mary and brothers of Christ.
The Rosary consists of contemplating the face of Christ with Mary.
Mary accompanies the Christian as he does so.

13. To be devoted to the Rosary is a sign of predestination.

14. The Rosary is not a substitute for conversion.
It demands our conversion and feeds it.
It does not replace the sacraments.
It leads us towards them.
It does not replace Christ.

15. It makes the soul return again and again to Him.

In the Rosary, every Catholic asks the Blessed Virgin for two things: to help him now, and not to abandon him at the hour of his death.

The beads are not an amulet.
Rather, they represent the trust of a son who, when the time comes to present himself before God, continues to ask his Mother for what he asked of her throughout his life: "Pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death". 

Oct 16 Fri - Who can teach me to love God?

 

Oct 16 Fri

Who can teach me to love God?

God created me to know, love, and serve Him in this world, and to be happy with Him forever in heaven. We can perform "acts of love," such as praying to God or loving our neighbor, but such actions do not necessarily mean we truly love God. Likewise, acts of service might be done for reasons other than love. External acts do not always equate to love.

St. Basil the Great explains:
Love for God cannot be taught. We did not learn from anyone how to be happy or want to live, or love our parents or guardians. The same is true –perhaps even more so– of our love for God: it does not come from the teaching of others.

As soon as a human being is born, the faculty of reason is implanted in us like a seed, with both the capacity and the need to love.

We possess, from the very first moment, the power and capacity to love.

We have everything we need to love God. We don't have to do anything special; we simply must make a conscious decision to choose to love God.

We must love God with the love He has given us. God is love, and love is His first gift. God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.

When we discover that God loved us first, we realize that loving Him is the right response. “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him might not perish but might have eternal life.” This is the great truth that illuminates the life of a Christian and sheds light on the obligation to love God.

The fact that God loved us first means there is a love that is the foundation of our existence, a love that precedes everything we have done or will do, does not depend on our goodness or wickedness, and will always be available to fill our lives.

To love God, we must allow ourselves to be loved by Him. And allowing ourselves to be loved by God means opening our hearts precisely where we think we are self-sufficient. It means receiving His mercy where we see ourselves as sinners, His forgiveness so that we may forgive, His help to fulfill those desires that seem impossible to us, and His grace to reach Him.

Jesus Christ taught us how we should ask God for things in the Lord’s Prayer. There we say, “Not my will, but Yours be done.” This has a lot to do with the love we owe God. To love God is to want His will to be done –and not the other way around. It is to open ourselves to His will.

If you find it difficult to love God, the best person to turn to is God Himself. Only He can foster the love we need to have and show us how to express it. 

Oct 15 Thu - Is apostolate something I must do?

 

Oct 15 Thu

Is apostolate something I must do?

Christ, who wants all men to be saved, also wants to involve us in his redemptive work. During his public life, He called the twelve Apostles, and also appointed seventy-two others, and sent them forth.

Since then, is it possible that there are still people who don't know our Lord? We are to blame; we who have been called to be co-redeemers and sometimes don't respond to God's will. Opposing God's redemptive plans are Satan –who really exists, along with his unclean spirits– and our evil passions and our freedom, and we also have the terrifying capacity to choose Death instead of Life.

Christ, who ascended the Cross with his arms thus open wide, with the gesture of an Eternal Priest, wants to count on us.

Just as our Lord sent those seventy-two disciples into every town and place, so he sends us. For us there can be no geographical, social, political, or racial boundaries: “All are yours, and you are Christ's." In all truth we can say: "Christian" is my name, and "Catholic" (universal) my surname.

The Church founded by Christ transcends all human divisions; she excludes no one. St Augustine wrote: “She invites citizens from all nations and all tongues, and unites them into a single pilgrim band. She does not take issue with the diversity of customs, laws and traditions as long as human peace is sought and maintained. Instead of cancelling or tearing down, she preserves and appropriates whatever in the diversities of races is aimed at the single objective of human peace." Every honest human reality can be sanctified.

Every Christian has a personal responsibility to spread God's kingdom. Each has a definite part to play.

“Your apostolic spirit must be shown in a definite concern to sanctify the people around you, those you work alongside or come in contact with for whatever reason. May no one who gets to know you be able to say that they didn't feel urged to draw closer to Christ, to love God more."

We cannot remain passive. God has left us the whole world as our inheritance; He wants us to bring Him, one by one, many souls who don't yet know Him. As Tertullian wrote of the early Christians: “We don't stop frequenting the forum, the marketplace, the baths, shops, offices, inns and fairs. We don't stop working with you and living alongside you in the world. We sail with you, we join the army, we farm the land and sell to you its fruits, the product of our work and weariness." 

Amid their activity, the early Christians came into close contact with the pagan world around them. What zeal was theirs to draw their fellow citizens to the warmth of the faith! Nor can our zeal be less today. “We deeply love all those who love Jesus Christ. And we also deeply love all those who don't love him. But for these we also feel sorry. So, we try to treat them kindly, to befriend and help them, seeking to drown evil in an abundance of good." 

Oct 14 Wed - What important points did the Pope emphasize to the French?

 

Oct 14 Wed

What important points did the Pope emphasize to the French?

In a wide-ranging address to the bishops of France, Pope Leo XIV emphasized the importance of Marian devotion and bold witness to Christ in the public square.

There is no better way to come to Jesus than through Mary. Everything about her leads us to her Son.

Always have the courage to acknowledge failings with a love of the truth and a determination to bind up wounds with the charity of the Good Shepherd, who knows his sheep and calls each of them by name.  Rise up, then, with hope, and never grow weary of proclaiming the Gospel!

The voice of the Church must be heard in the public square.  Her voice is needed.  Even when her teaching is not followed, particularly on essential questions touching the foundations of civilization, it remains necessary.  

Do not doubt this. I know of your steadfastness and courage—as you showed clearly during the recent debates on end-of-life issues—and I encourage you to persevere, together with all people of good will who uphold the same values.

You currently live under a particular form of secularity (laicism), but the Church must be allowed to carry out her mission. You must not give up. I urge you to remain vigilant in defending the freedom and rights of the Church to evangelize, to educate about true freedom, and to worship publicly, so that charity may be exercised visibly in the name of Jesus Christ.

Faced with such challenges, the false promise of a world where God is absent, relegated to the private sphere, and where the help of his grace is deemed unnecessary for “building the City” has given way to disillusionment and disorientation.  Yet Jesus clearly warned his disciples: “Apart from me you can do nothing” (Jn 15:5).

“There is only one “roadmap,” which is always the same: to make Jesus Christ known and loved, authentically, passionately, again and again.

Every Catholic school must offer opportunities to encounter Jesus Christ and hear his word. No pupils should ever find themselves marginalized in the classroom simply because they believe in Jesus.

Deepening and strengthening the life of faith within families is certainly key to resolving many of the crises facing the Church and society. For it is within families that we learn how to live together, respect others, accept diversity, support one another, be generous, give of ourselves freely, and embrace the spirit of sacrifice.

Unity: Jesus' disciples need to be united in charity, as Jesus asked of his Father, "that they may all be one... This unity is not a flat uniformity, but rather allows every authentically Catholic sensibility to converge naturally in a common profession of faith, through obedience to the legitimate Pastors and especially to the Successor of Peter, who is the "lasting and visible source and foundation of the unity both of faith and of communion."
 
This is a dynamic unity, nourished by the tradition of the Church — from the Fathers to the Second Vatican Council — and by the post-conciliar Magisterium. 

Oct 13 Tue What is my deepest thirst? What am I really seeking in life?

 

Oct 13 Tue

What is my deepest thirst? What am I really seeking in life?

Leo XIV’s response before 1 million French people.

“If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink” (Jn 7:37). In our thirst, we must turn toward Christ, the source of living water: water that quenches our thirst and makes life flourish, the water of God’s love “poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.”

“My soul thirsts for God, for the living God.” This is the cry of a humble heart whose deepest thirst continues to grow. Then, Jesus Christ, through his Incarnation, comes to meet every person in the midst of his or her own story, and reveals Himself as the true source of living water capable of quenching our thirst.

This thirst that dwells in every human heart is not so much a thirst for material things, but a thirst for meaning, for truth and fulfillment. Jesus responds to our profound desire for relationship, for communion with God, in whom the fullness of life forever resides.

Saint John would see water flowing from the pierced side of Jesus as He gave up his spirit. Everyone can now drink from this fountain, receive the gift of the Spirit, and be born anew, becoming children of God, a new creation.

We must acknowledge that nothing in this world can ever fully satisfy us. When we think that our work is finished at last, and our efforts have been rewarded, that inner emptiness often returns, deeper than before. And so, in an attempt to fill it, we may seek new pleasures, want to possess more and more things, or do everything we can to distract ourselves to numb that inner restlessness.

What is my deepest thirst? What am I really seeking in life? We all long for happiness, love, and fulfillment. But from what source do we seek to quench our thirst? Are we content with material goods, immediate satisfactions, the countless little idols that promise us everything but leave our hearts empty? We have been baptized and received the living water of which the Gospel speaks, but have we truly encountered Christ personally? In essence, the human person is a being of desire, and only God can fill the emptiness within us.

Yes, Jesus Christ, the Good Shepherd, leads us, as a shepherd leads his sheep, to the source of happiness and peace. He knows each one of us by name. Nothing about us is hidden from him –neither our secrets, nor our intentions, nor our weaknesses. He searches the depths of our hearts. He gave his life for us and continues to give it to us through the sacraments. Jesus reveals God’s unconditional love for us. In his eyes, none of us is merely a number or an entry in a register, but a unique and irreplaceable person.

Still, do not keep your faith in Jesus Christ to yourselves. Let it overflow, so that those you meet may be refreshed and their thirst satisfied. You are called to bring hope to all around you, wherever discouragement and spiritual dryness prevail.

Yet only by accepting to live under the gaze of Jesus can we be authentic and satisfy our thirst. 

Oct 12 Mon - What is it all about Our Lady of the Pillar?

 

Oct 12 Mon

What is it all about Our Lady of the Pillar?

It is believed that the Apostle Saint James, after the Resurrection, was assigned to preach the Gospel in the Roman province of Hispania (Spain). After some time preaching, there were no converts. In Saragossa, by the bank of the river Ebro, he was praying, downcast by the lack of results. Then Our Lady—still alive, presumably, in Ephesus—heard his prayer, appeared to him on a stone pillar, consoled him, and promised that the true Faith would not disappear from that land. Quite so; later, people from that land brought the seed of the Faith to our shores.

We have to pray even though it may seem that God is not listening to our plea. When our Lord seems to be hiding, and our petition seems to go unanswered, that is the time to cry out more resolutely and urgently, like the Canaanite woman who, faced with the Master's apparent coldness, persisted in her request with the humble reply: “Yet even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their master's table.”

Humble, confident, constant petition. “Everything has its time. Our Lord knows perfectly well what our needs are, yet he wants us to ask with the same persistence as the people in the Gospel: ‘Lord, if you will, you can make me clean;’ Domine, ut videam, ‘Lord, that I may see.’ Ask the same way they did: they asked him for everything. I won't say that man's life should be spent in nothing but asking, for there are times when one sees the need to abandon oneself, and one ceases to ask, but later on, one comes back to it.”

“Nowadays, I ask a lot. I keep on asking. After having abandoned myself into God's hands for years, I now consider it better to ask.”

Our Lord always gives in to those who approach him with the desire to please him. His heart is moved when we place in his hands all our needs, desires, and worries. Before the insistent supplication of the Canaanite woman, his apparent initial coldness changes to open admiration. "O woman, great is your faith! Be it done for you as you desire." And her daughter was healed instantly.

Christ is always close by, although at times we don't see him. He is continually listening to us and lovingly watching us, in spite of the fact that we may not "feel" anything.

We ought, therefore, to persevere confidently in our prayer. The more difficulty we experience in obtaining what we desire, the more firmly we must believe that God will grant it to us. “And when we are assaulted by the violent temptation of discouragement, opposition, struggle, tribulation, a new dark night of the soul, the Psalmist places on our lips and in our minds these words: 'I am with you in the time of trial."

“Action is worth nothing without prayer: prayer grows in value with sacrifice."

“Persevere in prayer. Persevere, even when your efforts seem barren. Prayer is always fruitful." 

Oct 11 Sun - Is there heaven and hell?

 

Oct 11 Sun

Is there heaven and hell?

In today’s reading, Isaiah conveys God’s promise of salvation to the Jews and to “all peoples.”

In today’s gospel, this salvation is seen as the greatest party ever thrown, but also as peace and a secure life.
So, to be united to Christ, to live in his house, to be a member of the Church, is like being a sheep under the care of the best Shepherd imaginable.
Outside her, one is followed by wolves, jackals, or other enemies seeking to devour him.

The king cast one guest out of the wedding feast for not wearing a wedding garment. This reason was justified, as the king himself supplied the garment to those admitted. In the same way, God fully supplies whatever we need to achieve our end of salvation –His grace.

Still, we need to struggle, always relying on Christ, “on Him who strengthens me.”

Thus, the king is God the Father. The son is Jesus Christ. The wedding feast is the salvation his gospel announces. The servants are the disciples of Christ. The guests were the chief priests and elders of the people. The behavior of the leaders of Israel was to refuse the gospel, to ignore it, and to mistreat and even kill the disciples. The punishment is the destruction of Israel and specifically Jerusalem. 

The “whomever you find” are the good Jews and the Gentiles –all of us. The wedding garment is our repentance and conversion. The place outside is damnation. The wedding guest who was cast out is the follower of Christ who goes back to sin. Thus, the parable ends with a warning to us, disciples of Christ.

Our Lord also provides us an image of heaven and of hell.

Heaven is the ultimate end and fulfillment of the deepest human longings, the state of supreme, definitive happiness, a communion of life and love with the Trinity, with the Virgin Mary, the angels and all the blessed. No eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man conceived, what God has prepared for those who love him.

Purgatory is the state of all who die in God’s grace and friendship but are still imperfectly purified and must wait and undergo purification. These are indeed assured of their eternal salvation.

We cannot be united with God unless we freely choose to love Him. But we cannot love God if we sin gravely against Him, against our neighbor, or against ourselves.

To die in mortal sin without repenting and accepting God’s merciful love means remaining separated from Him forever by our own free choice. This state of definitive self-exclusion from communion with God and the blessed is called “hell.”

The chief punishment of hell is eternal separation from God, in whom alone man can possess the life and happiness for which he was created and for which he longs. Thus, hell is no happiness whatsoever.

The affirmations of Sacred Scripture and the teachings of the Church on the subject of hell are a call to the responsibility mandatory upon man to make use of his freedom in view of his eternal destiny. They are an urgent call to conversion. 

Oct 10 Sat - Is the Mass a sacrifice?

 

Oct 10 Sat

Is the Mass a sacrifice?

It is a sacrifice and a sacrament.

In the Last Supper, Jesus gave the apostles his body and blood to eat. In every Mass, Christ gives himself to us as spiritual food (Holy Communion). This is the sacrament of the Eucharist.

The Second Vatican Council confirms that Christ instituted the Eucharistic sacrifice of his body and blood at the Last Supper. “He did this to perpetuate the sacrifice of the cross throughout the centuries until he should come again, and so to entrust to his beloved Spouse, the Church, a memorial of his death and resurrection: a sacrament of love, a sign of unity, a bond of charity, a paschal banquet in which Christ is eaten, the mind is filled with grace, and a pledge of future glory is given to us.”

Commenting on this text, Pope St. Paul VI says: “These words highlight both the sacrifice, which pertains to the essence of the Mass that is celebrated daily, and the sacrament in which those who participate in it through Holy Communion eat the flesh of Christ and drink the blood of Christ, and thus receive grace, which is the beginning of eternal life, and the ‘medicine of immortality’ according to our Lord’s words: ‘The man who eats my flesh and drinks my blood enjoys eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day’.”

To understand the Mass well, we should keep in mind all these aspects. Sacrifice and sacrament (with its two elements of presence of Christ and spiritual nourishment for us) pertain to the same mystery and cannot be separated.

The Lord is immolated in an unbloody way in the Mass, and He re-presents (makes present here and now) the sacrifice of the cross and applies its salvific power when He becomes sacramentally present through the words of Consecration.

The Mass is not limited to the passion, but encapsulates Christ’s resurrection, ascension, and the waiting for the second coming. The Church celebrates all of this in every holy Mass; the priest refers to it when he invites the whole assembly to pray that “my sacrifice and yours may be acceptable…. “

Certainly, Christ’s sacrifice will always be acceptable to the Father. Still, we, as imperfect human beings, must pray that our participation in this sacrifice may be made worthy to be joined to that of Christ.

All these points should be considered to have a complete picture of the Mass.

• The Mass is the memorial of the death and resurrection of the Lord, in which the sacrifice of the cross is perpetuated throughout the centuries.

• Christ is there –really, substantially present– under the forms of bread and wine.

• In the Mass, Christ the Lord, through the ministry of the priest, offers himself to God the Father and gives himself to the faithful as spiritual food. The faithful are associated with his offering.

• The Mass is an action of Christ himself and the Church.

• The Mass signifies and effects the unity of the people of God and achieves the building up of the body of Christ.

• The Mass is the summit and the source of all Christian worship and life. 

Oct 9 Fri - Is there life after birth?

 

Oct 9 Fri 

Is there life after birth?

Twins, a sister and brother, were talking to each other inside their mother’s womb.
The little sister said to the little brother: “I believe that there is life after birth!”

Her brother protested: “No, no, this is all there is. This is a dark and cozy place, and we have nothing else to do but to cling to the cord that is feeding us.”

But the little girl insisted: “There must be something more than this dark place; there must be something else where there is light and freedom to move.”
Still, she could not convince her twin brother.

Then...after some silence, she said hesitantly: “I have something else to say, and I am afraid you won’t believe that either, but I think there is a mother!”

Her little brother now became furious: “A mother, a mother… what are you talking about? I have never seen a mother, and neither have you. Who put that idea in your head? As I told you, this place is all we have; it is all there is, so let’s accept it.”

The little sister finally said: “Don’t you feel some kind of pressure sometimes?... It’s really unpleasant and now and then even painful.”

“Yes,” he answered, “what’s special about that?”

“Well,” the sister said, “I think the pressure we feel is there to get us ready for another place, much more beautiful than this, where we will see our mother face to face! … Don’t you think that’s exciting!”
After this, they were born.

Lesson: Faith in the Immortality of the soul.
Faith in the afterlife.
Your life, and everything in it, is a preparation for eternity

We owe our parents so much, and in human terms we can never repay them. They gave us life. Often, they were the ones who “sowed in our hearts the first seeds of faith, piety and vocation. It is only right that we should try to repay all the vigilance, concern and sacrifices they have made on our behalf." By our prayer, mortification and deeds, we can win for them supernatural riches that will last throughout eternity.

If we live by what we believe, we shall travel along the paths of the earth with our eyes fixed on eternal life, since “we know that, if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens."

To reach our heavenly dwelling, we need to use all the human means available, regardless of the cost. There is no possible comparison between the effort required of us –limited, and only for a certain number of years– and the infinite reward which is forever.

“Let us ask Holy Mary, Spes Nostra, our Hope, to kindle in us a holy desire that we may all come together to dwell in the house of the Father. … Our Lord will lead us there with his grace, and he will send a good wind to carry our ship to the bright shores of our destination." 

Oct 8 Thu - What will I learn by looking at Jesus’ hands?

 

Oct 8 Thu 

What will I learn by looking at Jesus’ hands?

Jesus, show me your hands, hands of forgiveness and compassion, hands of healing and mercy, hands of anointing and blessing, which impelled you to give yourself into the hands of your brothers.

Open to the events and accepting the difficulties you encountered on your way, Lord, you allowed yourself to be chiseled by the Will of your Father, God, carrying on your shoulders all the consequences of the Gospel, until you saw your own hands full of love, full of forgiveness: “Look at my hands,” you said to Thomas (Jn 20:27), and you are saying it to each one of us.

“You too, friend, may find yourself now hearing His gentle reproach to Thomas: 'Let me have your finger; see, here are my hands. Let me have your hand; put it into my side. Cease your doubting, and believe;' and, with the Apostle, a sincere cry of contrition will rise from your soul: 'My Lord, and my God!' I acknowledge you once and for all as the Master. From now on, with your help, I shall always treasure your teachings, and I shall strive to follow them loyally."

Jesus’ wounded hands are stretched out and never cease to offer themselves, so that you may know the love that God has for you and then believe in him (cf. 1 Jn 4:16).

But now, look at YOUR hands; can Jesus find them busy, engaged in the mission that He has entrusted to you?

“Father, into your hands I commend my spirit;” this is the invitation and the program of life that Jesus whispers and wants to offer to you; He wants to mold you like a potter molds a clay vessel (cf. Is 29:16); to put in you the heart of a shepherd, until you share the same sentiments of Christ Jesus (cf. Phil 2:5), until your heart and his Heart beat in unison.

“Then, you will have this unity of life, this urge for contemplation in the middle of the world – in the middle of the street, in the open air, in the sun and the rain – not only will you be driven by a desire to keep working at your temporal task and not distance yourselves from earthly realities, but you will be spurred on by your apostolic zeal to enter all those secular realities courageously, to reveal the divine demands that they contain. You will teach others that the fraternity of God’s children is the great solution to the world’s problems, because human fraternity has a supernatural meaning. You will draw people out of the shell of their selfishness. At the same time, for those who seem lost in the crowd, you will guarantee the personality and true freedom they need. In short, you will open up the divine paths of the earth to all men and women."

Jesus, help me to give an apostolic meaning to my life, becoming like a pool of clear water, from which a river flows to irrigate the fields, but not like a stagnant pool, a swamp of egoism. Help me to be your hands. 

Oct 7 Wed - Is it also bad to indulge in impure thoughts or desires?

 

Oct 7 Wed

Is it also bad to indulge in impure thoughts or desires?

The ninth commandment in the Decalogue, extracted from the same verse as the tenth (Exodus 20:17), is also found directly in the Gospel: "He who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart" (Mt 5:28).

You can say it louder, but not clearer.

We should link this episode to the one in the Gospel of Saint John, "Master, this woman has been caught in flagrant adultery" (Jn 8:4), and Jesus' answer: "He who is without sin among you, let him be the first to throw a stone at her."

Only men were authorized to participate in a stoning, so Jesus was surrounded by men and said to them, "He who is without sin." He knew that, at least in one's heart, everyone had sinned, since we usually have to fight against impure looks and desires.

The most beautiful thing about this commandment is that it says, "You shall not indulge impure thoughts or desires." The Church already knows that we are going to have them, that when we come across an attractive person of the opposite sex, we are going to desire that person spontaneously. What the commandment requires of us is: Do not consent to it; do not linger on it.

We are human and, therefore, we are animals (how many insist on denying it!), but because we are human, we can overrule instincts. The more we master them, the more human we become.

We are animals, and we can communicate with grunts, exclamations, and with our hands, but the more we use spoken language, the more human we are. Thus, the most human form of language is poetry, because it is its highest form. We can easily agree that these demands are “more human” because they are higher functions. But some find it very difficult to be asked to rise above their instincts.

Some believe that “having impure thoughts and desires” is not bad, since “you do not harm anyone.” We return to the reduction of the human being to external behavior, ignoring that thought is also behavior.

For me, it is a matter of respect. Think about children; I would be very upset if someone desired them in a solely carnal way. This is clearly “using them”: I desire you, but without you, as a person.

Impure desires are a clear way to “objectify” a person. I don’t care about you being a person; I don’t care who you are, or what you need, or what you think, or your emotions, or your feelings; I just want to enjoy you, even if it’s without physically touching you.

Indeed, limiting yourself to thought is not the same as taking action. Indeed. Wishing death on someone is not the same as murdering him. An impure thought or desire is not the same as executing the action. Still, God, who as a Father wants the best for us, wants all of our conduct—not just our external actions, but also our internal ones—to be directed to what brings us good.

Let’s put the precept positively: You may entertain those thoughts and desires that, if you could carry them out, would bring good to you and others.